The Deccan Development Society (DDS) will organise a month-long Mobile Bio- Diversity Festival beginning January 14. The 20th edition of the festival has created a record of sort, being the longest cultural campaign in India’s voluntary sector .
The mobile festival, involving small women farmers of rain fed regions, is a moving exhibition of the agro biodiversity of hundreds of local seeds mounted on bullock carts set in a caravan and accompanied by folk singers, dancers and thousands of farmers as it travels through the villages and towns of Zaheerebad region of Sangareddy district. The cravan is set to visit 28 villages of Zaheerabad region interacting with thousands of farmers, reminding them of their rich farm tradition -- irrigation-free and chemical-free farming crowned by agro biodiversity.
This year, the festival will be flagged off by State Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and W.R.Reddy, Director General, NIRD. A galaxy of national and international biodiversity and organic agriculture experts is expected to participate in the biodiversity festival. Leading them will be Ms. Alimata Traore, an African representative of FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) in Rome and also the president of a 5,000 strong women farmers organisation in Mali, Ms.Fransisca, a food and agriculture scientist and a farmer in Senegal, West Africa, Ms.Anne Berson from BEDE, a French international NGO devoted to the spread of agro biodiversity and seed sovereignty in Africa and Ms.Seetha Ananthasivan, Director at Bhoomi Network for Sustainable Living & Editor in chief, Bhoomi magazine.
The festival will come to a close at Machanoor on February 15.
